OPINION - GILLIAN BURKE

"We can make a start by living with more ecological humility"

- Gillian Burke

My head was being held over the edge of the boat and blood was running from my nose, mixing with the water below. I was around three years old, and I think I had been accidentally hit by my brother. I don’t remember who was holding me, but I do remember being utterly mesmerised by what looked like a ‘forever wave’ as the wake peeled away from the hull.

This is one of my earliest memories, marking the moment I became aware of being part of something far bigger than just myself. From there, my relationship with the ocean deepened: I doggy paddled in the shallows; learnt to swim out of my depth; played in the surf and practised diving. Then, I was given my first mask – nothing more than a circle of glass in a rubber-coated steel frame strapped to my face – but it was my ticket to a dreamy underwater world.